Letters for the week of June 20

Jun 20, 2013

A year later, Stoltz still not a team player

Dear Editor,

I promised myself that I wouldn’t write this letter, but I am so tired of the bullying behavior displayed by Councilmember Kevin Stoltz that I gave in to the frustration. I will not write any more on this subject, and I have no political sides to take nor issues that I represent.

If I am the only one who is bothered by the almost weekly diatribes from Mr. Stoltz in the Beacon, then I will know so by the absence of response from others. I am pretty sure Mr. Stoltz will need the last word, and therefore I expect to be blasted.

I wrote about a year ago suggesting Mr. Stoltz become a team player and do more to lobby for his ideas rather than criticize others who see differently. However, many of his columns and some letters to the editor still impugn his fellow councilmembers and our mayor, as well as the city staff, on a regular basis.

I don’t know these people any more than I know Mr. Stoltz, but I hate his approach and I suggest that it must be terribly hard working with someone who is going to berate you publicly if you disagree.

All the councilmembers were elected to solve problems, and they do so from their own backgrounds, research and perspectives. Each should stand up and be counted, as well as communicate those ideas so the others can make an informed decision.

Working together is key to making an organization a success, and all exchanges should be free of regular criticisms and fractured allegiances. Personal agendas of the kind being demonstrated by Mr. Stoltz are disruptive and not in the best interests of the city.

Respectfully,

Dennis Gillingham,

Mukilteo

Coal dust is an issue

Dear Editor,

The June 12 issue of the Beacon had a bad statement from Mayor Joe Marine.

It is obvious that he does not understand anything about coal dust [“City: Coal trains a cause for concern,” The Beacon, front page].

I am from Ohio originally and we had a coal cellar. I know very well what coal dust smells like and I smelled it in Edmonds not too long ago. I didn't know about the trains at the time, but my sister-in-law asked what we thought of the coal trains.

Wow, it didn't take long for me to put my smelling coal dust and the coal trains together.

Mayor Marine stated that by the time the train gets here there shouldn't be a lot of coal dust in the train. As coal gets bounced around in the train it keeps making dust. It makes dust right up until it burns.

The trains should be required to have covers over the cars to reduce the amount of dust escaping from the cars. It is a pollutant that we can really do without.

I can see it now covering our beautiful park, the cars, the people, the picnic lunches, etc.

Our city is just one of many that should stand up for their rights not to be polluted by these trains. There is still profit and jobs to be had with the coal trains, just keep the dust in the cars where it belongs.

Dennis Hutton,

Mukilteo

Maybe we should try parking over the tracks

Dear Editor,

Let’s kill two plagues – the coal trains and the ferry traffic – with one rock.

If you don’t like my plan to have a holding lane in the gulch, then how about creating a deck over the tracks for parking spaces next to the Port of Everett pier? A straight shot into the relocated dock.

Access would be a combination of car lanes and a single rail track. We could easily create 300 parking spaces at the end of the dock without slowing the trains. It could extend past the bridge by Lighthouse Park and provide 2,600 parking spaces, with no sacrifice of waterfront.

What would it look like?

On the borders of the right of way, have two tired vertical walls that support the deck and contain the sound, vibration and air pollution. Now that it’s contained, it can be filtered before release.

Built into the side wall would be a vertical tank for holding stormwater that’s used to water the foliage planted in the tiers on the walls. It would save another acre of waterfront and not blocking the view from 2nd Street, but blocking the noise, including the darn ferry loudspeaker.

Maybe if we let BNSF charge through town safely and unimpeded, they will pay for it. Or at least get together with the ferry system and combine funds.

Check out www.greenroof.com/walls.

Dean Merriman,

Mukilteo

Be safe, follow the law this 4th

Dear Editor,

The Fourth of July holiday has arrived, and requires everyone to be thinking about fire safety issues associated with this celebratory time.

Through documented history of accidents associated with the use of fireworks, the City of Mukilteo provides a level of safety to its citizens by banning the purchase and use of fireworks within its borders.

The Mukilteo Municipal Code states: “It is unlawful for any person to sell, use, transfer, discharge, ignite or explode any fireworks within the city.” However, the prohibition doesn’t apply to public displays authorized by the city.